Israir will start flying to the US in competition with El Al Airlines, which conducts regular flights to the US; El Al subsidiary Sun D'or, which operates charter flights, and US airline Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL), which flies to New Jersey.
Israir will operate charter flights three times a week. The company believes that since TWA halted its flights and Delta Airlines (NYSE: DAL) left the market, an opportunity has been created for another company on the route. Israir claims its charter flights will satisfy the large demand expected in the summer months and restore competition to the route.

The flights will commence on July 1, 2002. Prices will vary from $700 to $800, which is lower than Continental and El Al's summer prices.

Published by Israel's Business Arena.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Israir, which opearets 4 ATR42s and a single 757 (leased from LY) on domestic and charter services, is looking for a 747 lease to operate those flights.

The interesting thing is that Israir's CEO, Sabina Biran, used to be the Israeli executive of bankrupcy Tower Air when it used to fly.
Tower Air, for those of you who dont remember, used to operate JFK-TLV-JFK services with old 747s on a low-cost basis, which is exactly what Israir plans to do.
The 747 would be configured with 460 seats and would fly nonstop 3 times a week between TLV and JFK.

El Al's Sun D'or would also offer such a low-cost service this summer, same like it did one year ago.

Any ideas from who the 747 might come from?? Theres no much info available regarding the upcoming 747 lease... although I was told that Israir is already negotiationing with several airlines/leasing companies.

...they could lease an ex-El-Al 747...Or should I already say "they could have leased"...? It's so weird to demolish these old Jumbos with bulldozers!
One of them could so easily find a place at Hatzerim, for instance...

I have the feeling Arkia is competing stronger this year against El-Al on the skiers charters to GVA; other years there were often 3 El-Al wide-bodies on Sundays (744 + 747 + 767/777 last year), now there's a maximum of 2 (767 + 737/757/747) and 2 Arkia flights...
Is it the case?

Air Atlanta Icelandic? Wet leasing is all they do, and they have plenty of 742's and 743's. They've leased a 743 to LY on at least one occasion. What about that new Swedish airlines, Trans Jet is it? Aren't they going to be in the same kind of business? They have 742's. Does European (Paul Stoddart's airline) operate pax services with their 742's? Corsair has 742's, SP's, and 743's, and they're already in a high denisty one class config. Iberia? Alitalia (getting rid of their -200's in favor of 772's anyways)?